Shorter University
Rome, Georgia · Private Nonprofit · 96.5% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 24/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Shorter University earns a CampusROI score of 24 out of 100 and lands in the Below Benchmark tier. The Rome, Georgia Baptist liberal-arts university posts weak numbers across nearly every component. The earnings premium is just 14.4% over high-school-only workers, the payback period is 21.5 years, and the 0.68 debt-to-earnings ratio against $25,000 in median federal debt earns a sub-score of 32. The single weakest sub-score is repayment at 7 (raw rate 45.4%), meaning more than half of borrowers are not actively reducing principal three years after entering repayment. Net price comes in at $16,646 per year (a $7,984 discount off sticker), and four-year cost lands near $66,584. The graduate-by-major picture is bimodal: Registered Nursing produces a strong B-grade outcome, but most other programs (Business, Criminal Justice, Human Services, Kinesiology) carry D or F ROI grades. The honest read: Shorter is a place where a specific clinical track works financially and most other tracks do not.
How Shorter University scores under our methodology
These are the College Scorecard measures that pull this school's CampusROI score down. They describe the published figures, not the quality of the education, and they are our reading of the data. Check them against your own aid offer and intended major.
- ROI Score24/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- 6-year graduation rate37.7% - The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our score, since a degree that is not finished rarely pays back.
- Payback period21.5 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Shorter University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $24,630/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $24,630/yr |
| Average net price | $16,646/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $66,584 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $44,604 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $36,600 |
| Median debt at graduation | $25,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $265 |
| Estimated payback period | 21.5 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 37.7% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,028 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $24,630/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $16,646/year, or roughly $66,584 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $15,929/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $18,898/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $25,000, which works out to about $265 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($36,600) and comes to 0.68, under 1.0, meaning median debt is less than a full year of those earnings.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $15,929 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $21,482 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $22,944 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $21,292 |
| $110,001+ | $18,898 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 face an average net price of $15,929 per year, totaling roughly $63,700 across four years. With ten-year median earnings of $44,604, this price is workable only for low-income students who land in the nursing program; for general majors it requires significant borrowing against a modest earnings tail.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $48,001 to $75,000 bracket pays $22,944 per year, the highest cost on the page among reported income tiers. This is an inverted bracket worth flagging: middle-income families pay more than the lowest-income bracket AND more than the higher brackets above it, suggesting institutional aid is concentrated either at the lowest-need or at academic-merit applicants and effectively skips this middle band. Four-year cost lands near $91,800.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,000 pay $18,898 per year, less than the middle-income brackets, an additional inversion. Four-year cost is roughly $75,600. Higher-income families with strong cash flow are paying less than their middle-income neighbors, likely reflecting merit-based scholarships flowing to academically prepared applicants from these households. The aid math at Shorter notably penalizes the middle.
Earnings by Major
Top 8 most popular majors at Shorter University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $63,873 | D |
| Registered Nursing | $75,924 | B |
| Teacher Education | $49,864 | C |
| Kinesiology and Exercise Science | $42,558 | F |
| Psychology | $46,272 | - |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $56,677 | D |
| Human Services, General | $50,113 | F |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences | $50,887 | - |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Registered Nursing
Registered Nursing graduates 28 students per cohort with year-one earnings of $69,009 climbing to $75,924 by year four. With $26,942 in median debt, the 0.39 debt-to-earnings ratio earns a B ROI grade. This is the strongest program at Shorter and the financial story that rescues the school's value proposition for nursing-bound students. Northwest Georgia hospital placements drive solid clinical outcomes.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business graduates 39 students, the largest reported cohort. Year-one earnings of $47,140 rise to $63,873 by year four. However, median debt is unusually high at $37,987, producing an 0.81 debt-to-earnings ratio and a D ROI grade.
Teacher Education
Teacher Education graduates 23 students with year-one earnings of $39,460 and four-year earnings of $49,864. Median debt of $26,568 produces a 0.67 ratio and a C ROI grade. This tracks Georgia public-school starting-salary structure. Graduates entering the Georgia Teachers Retirement System get pension benefits not visible in earnings, which modestly improves the durable economics.
Kinesiology and Exercise Science
Kinesiology graduates 21 students with year-one earnings of just $24,291 climbing to $42,558 by year four. Median debt of $26,000 against year-one earnings produces a 1.07 ratio and an F ROI grade. This is a program where the credential alone does not deliver labor-market value; students need to pair it with PT or athletic-training graduate study to see meaningful earnings, which adds further debt and time.
Human Services, General
Human Services graduates 10 students with year-one earnings of $30,167 and a notably high median debt of $46,320, producing a 1.54 debt-to-earnings ratio and an F ROI grade. This is the worst major-level outcome on the page. The unusually high debt likely reflects students completing supplemental certifications, but the labor-market return does not support borrowing at this level.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 39.2% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 45.4% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 45.9% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 53.8% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Shorter University’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 96.5% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 510-580 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 530-620 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 18-25 |
| Enrollment | 1,028 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 37.5% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $5,054 |
Shorter admits 96.5% of applicants, an essentially open-admissions posture. Reported SAT mid-ranges run 510 to 580 in math and 530 to 620 in reading; ACT composite is 18 to 25.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shorter University (this school) | 24 | $16,646 | $44,604 |
| Agnes Scott College | 45 | $24,754 | $56,274 |
| Southern Virginia University | 26 | $22,213 | $50,002 |
| Mary Baldwin University | 25 | $12,756 | $44,427 |
| Barton College | 24 | $23,626 | $47,913 |
| Clark Atlanta University | 14 | $37,702 | $42,712 |
Who Thrives Here
Shorter serves about 1,028 students with a 37.5% Pell rate. The fit case narrows by program: nursing-bound students get a genuinely strong outcome and a defensible cost-versus-earnings path. Students entering general liberal-arts, business, or kinesiology tracks should weigh the data hard, particularly the 45.4% repayment rate which signals that most borrowers struggle. Students drawn to the Baptist-college identity, the small-campus ethos, and the Rome, Georgia setting can find fit, but the financial path requires careful program selection.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Shorter University scores 24/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $16,646 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $44,604 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 21.5 years. In our view that makes the financial case a hard one to make on the numbers alone, but those numbers are averages: your major, your aid package and what you want from a degree all change the picture, so run your own numbers before you commit.
What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, its 37.7% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.68 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 45.4% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $25,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $36,600 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.68. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. Your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
Shorter University: Common Questions
Is Shorter University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Shorter University scores 24/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $16,646 a year after aid against $44,604 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 21.5 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Shorter University cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $16,646 a year, or roughly $66,584 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do Shorter University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $44,604 ten years after enrolling, roughly $2,804 a year more than the median high-school graduate ($41,800, per NCES, 2022). That earnings gap is what has to cover the cost of the degree.
How long does it take to pay off Shorter University?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at about 21.5 years for Shorter University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Shorter University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $25,000, against average earnings of $36,600 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.68. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. How much you borrow really matters.
What is the graduation rate at Shorter University?
The six-year graduation rate is 37.7%. The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.